If you have CNC bending equipment in place in your factory, garage or plant, that can take care of your metal bending needs in many cases. However, there may still be some times where you want to outsource your bending to an induction bender. Here are five signs you may want to choose induction pipe bending over in-house CNC bending.

1. The pipe you are bending is relatively large.

Generally, with the right dies, CNC machines can easily bend small pipes, and this is true regardless of the pipe's shape. However, as the pipework gets bigger, the chance of distortion increases with rotary machines. As a result, if you have a large pipe, you may want to opt for induction bending, as it has a lower degree of distortion.

2. You need a bend with an acute angle.

The angle you need also plays a factor in your choice. CNC machines can work perfectly with bends that have a relatively small radius, which equates to an obtuse angle in the pipe. However, for the larger radiuses needed to obtain right and acute angles, you may need to turn to induction bending.

3. You need multiple curves.

Induction bending is not only better suited to large radiuses, but it also works better in situations where you need multiple curves. The risk of error tends to be greater with CNC bending. In contrast, with induction bending, the company you hire can simply program all the bends you need precisely into their machinery.

4. You have a large volume of bends needed.

In addition to considering how the pipe itself affects the bending method you select, you should also consider how the task affects your work flow. In cases where you need a lot of bends done relatively quickly, you may want to outsource that to an induction bender. Their machinery is often better poised to handle a large volume of bending than a benchtop or even a box CNC-bending machine is.

Additionally, you have to consider your available resources. In some cases, it may be more advantageous for your crew to focus on other aspects of the project, rather than working on bending by hand. With induction bending, much of the process is automated.

5. You experience these cases frequently.

If you experience any of these scenarios on a regular basis, you may want to consider investing in your own induction bending equipment. That can make financial sense if you have a high volume of need. In other cases, it typically works best to outsource your induction bending to the experts.